The Castor Bay Presbyterian Church on Auckland’s North Shore has been sold – but it will still remain as place of religious worship. The church and adjoining hall have been bought by the Auckland branch of a well-established Buddhist religious …Historic church sold to another religious organisation

The Castor Bay Presbyterian Church on Auckland’s North Shore has been sold – but it will still remain as place of religious worship.

The church and adjoining hall have been bought by the Auckland branch of a well-established Buddhist religious education society with other existing premises throughout the city.

Mairangi and Castor Bays Presbyterian Church property and finance convenor George Wyman said the church had been sold as the size of its congregations no longer warranted its own premises. Congregation members will now integrate into the Mairangi Bay Presbyterian Church some two kilometres away or to the Anglican Church in neighbouring Milford.

The church will hold its final religious worship sessions over Easter in April next year. The sale of the Castor Bay Presbyterian Church was brokered by Bayleys Takapuna.

The two buildings have a combined floor space of 250 square metres with off-street car parking for eight vehicles, and sit on 1133 square metres of land with vast views over Milford Beach and the Waitemata Harbour. The Castor Bay land and buildings have a capital valuation of $1.125milllion.

Bayleys Takapuna sales person Peter Christoffersen said that seven tenders were received for the Castor Bay premises after an extensive marketing campaign which embraced both the commercial and residential development potential for the land and buildings.

“Some of those tenders were for the commercial development of the site, while most were for development of a residential nature in line with its zoning of Residential 4 under the Auckland Council plan,” Mr Christoffersen said.

“When the final round of tenders was assessed, the best deal put forward at the end of the process was that of the Buddhists. This sits well with the church’s philosophy of encouraging spiritual worship, peace, and harmony and ensures the legacy created over almost 100 years in Castor Bay is maintained.”